


A Light in the Storm

by Lalafell_Princess



Category: Castlevania (Cartoon), 悪魔城ドラキュラ | Castlevania Series
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-20
Updated: 2018-11-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:13:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22110862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lalafell_Princess/pseuds/Lalafell_Princess
Summary: You are lost in the winter wilderness of Romania. Finding shelter turns out differently than you originally anticipated.
Relationships: Alucard (Castlevania)/Reader
Comments: 4
Kudos: 59





	1. Creatures of the Night

Darkness surrounds you. Cold whips around your heaving body, slapping ice against your face. You are so, so lost. You and your family are on vacation in Europe, and you got caught in a surprise blizzard while exploring the countryside. You've become separated from them, and with no cell reception out here in the wilderness, you are on your own. The first thing you want to do is find shelter and wait out the storm, and then try to find them again.

It's odd, and perhaps it's just hysteria and hypothermia setting in, but you swear you're not alone out here. Howls carry on the wind, and you feel as though you are being watched. Hunted. The guides warned you not to wander around on your own at night, and you had plenty of daylight when you set out that afternoon. After getting hit by the storm, however, the light slipped away, little by little, and the darkness now engulfs you like a choking shroud.

Eventually, after what feels like hours, you stumble into some sort of square. You catch your breath. Towering over you is an enormous castle. Despite your circumstances, your heart leaps in excitement. You love castles. Europe is full of them, and each has delighted you to no end, one after the other. This one, however, is much, much bigger than anything you’ve visited thus far. You walk up the steps, careful not to slip on the icy stone. Maybe it's a museum, and you can get aid inside. The doors are massive, and you fumble with the knocker, as big as a car tire. It swings open with some effort, and you slip through the small opening created.

You let out an audible sigh of wonder. The inside is even more amazing than the exterior. A long hallway leads to a grand staircase, torches lit along the smooth walls. Thick carpeting muffles your soggy sneakers, an iron-cast chandelier swaying gently above you. Despite the draft, the air is much warmer in here than outside. You walk along the hall, your eyes trying to take in everything at once. Suddenly scraping and snarling sounds behind you. You whip around. Clearly, you didn’t close the door all the way.

It turns out you really weren't alone in that icy wilderness.

The thing is around the size of a large bear, black leathery wings shaking off snow and ice. Blood red eyes bear into you, sharp dirty teeth snapping in a howling mouth. Powerful muscles fling it in your direction. If you were calmer, you may have tried to put a name to the creature; a harpy, perhaps? You aren’t sure. Of course, at the moment of its entry the only thing to leave your mouth is a long, curdling scream.

You don’t have much to defend yourself with. The only things on your person are your phone, your wallet, and a few smooth stones found on the pathways outside that you took as souvenirs. You grip one of the stones and throw it as hard as you can at the creature, but it bounces harmlessly off its thick, furry coat. It growls and snuffles, and you don’t even try to run. Dread is holding you hostage, gluing you in place.

The thing is about to lunge, and you prepare for the inevitable. After a few horrifically long moments, however, you hear it whimper in pain. You crack open your eyes you didn’t realize you'd shut to see it crumpled in a heap, blood seeping onto the floor. Protruding from its neck is a long, silver sword.

“Do be sure to shut the door properly next time. This is exactly why I have so few guests these days. No one seems to have proper manners anymore.”

You turn your head and look up. Standing at the top of the stairs is a tall, thin man. His presence alone is enough to make you stagger. He holds an awesome aura, like someone who is all-powerful and all-knowing. You stare at him, mute, as he gracefully descends the staircase. A black cloak flows around him, matching gloves covering elegant hands. His boots look thick, but he barely makes a sound as he walks. Platinum blonde hair spills over his broad shoulders, framing a flawless face. But the _eyes_ are what hold you so captivated. You've never seen someone with amber irises, and they seem to hold so much knowledge, so much _power_.

Once he reaches the bottom step he holds out his hand. The blade flies from the beast into his grasp, and he sheathes it at his hip. He does all this without breaking eye contact with you. His head tilts, a playful smile quirking the edges of his thin lips. “Well? What have you to say for yourself?”

When he opens his mouth, you see two of his top teeth are much longer and sharper than the others. Your stomach sinks to your knees and you swallow bile that's begun crawling up your throat. He has fangs. _Fangs_.

“I…” Words elude you. Your tongue seems bound against your will. You keep looking from his enthralling gaze to the monster. This seems to amuse him. “Perhaps I should initiate while you find your voice. What exactly brought you to my castle this blustery evening?”

Your mouth finally loosens, finding a question it knows how to answer. “I… I’m traveling with my family… we got separated during the storm… I thought maybe this was a museum so I came in to get help… and…” You glance at the monster again.

“And you carelessly let this beast from the nighthorde wander into my domain. I see.” He walks over and lifts the creature with one hand, dragging it to the still partially open door. He throws it outside, spits, and shuts the door. He seems to glide back over to you. “Well, now that that’s taken care of, where does that leave us?” His gaze still bears into you, and you keep looking away, unable to handle it for too long.

“My family…” you mumble out. “Can… can you help me find them?”

“I’m afraid your family has most likely fallen victim to that beast’s brethren. This is the only building for miles, and unless they also stumble in and leave the door ajar in the next few minutes, I’d say they were already long gone. A pity, really.” He shrugs.

“Oh…” Your brain has no idea how to process what's happening. This man with fangs and the Force saved you from a demon straight from the seventh hell, and now you're supposed to believe your family is dead? Breathing becomes difficult, and you clutch at your ice-crusted hoodie.

“Oh dear.” His expression suddenly softens; not that it had previously been hostile. Merely powerful, more than anything. He approaches you and places a hand on your shoulder. You hadn't realized you're shivering uncontrollably until you see his arm quiver with your movements. “Let’s get you warmed up. It’s been so long since I’ve had visitors, and it’s far too dangerous to send you out into the cold world at the moment. Even if you went and left the door open. Come.”

He gently guides you up the steps, your feet shuffling slowly. Eventually you find the strength to speak through chattering teeth. “…Thank you for saving me.”

“There it is. I was wondering when you would mention that.” He seems to lightly chuckle. “’Twas nothing. Just trying to defend my home, after all. What do they call you out there, little one?”

It takes you a moment to realize he's asking for your name. “I’m… [Name].”

“Well, [Name], it’s a lucky thing you caught me in such a good mood. You may call me Alucard. Here, rest by the fire. I can prepare something for you to consume.”


	2. Conversing by Firelight

Flames dance in your vision as you huddle by the hearth. The man, Alucard, has offered you the single high-backed chair in the room, but you've opted for the floor, so you can be closer to the fire. He’s left to get you food, and your eyes gradually look up from the stone beneath you to the rest of your surroundings as your body thaws. Despite the unkempt hallway you walked through to get here, the room itself is extremely tidy. The rug you sit upon seems fresh and plush, and no ashes or debris litter the fireplace. Flowers are neatly arranged in a tall vase on the far table. Hanging over them is a portrait painting of a lovely woman. Her smile is soft and reassuring, and it's enough to make you stop and take a second look.

“Here we are.”

You jump slightly as Alucard reenters the room, bearing a tray filled with various kinds of meat. He places it on the footrest in front of the armchair. “Eat what you like.”

He perches himself in the chair and watches intently as you pick among the pieces, popping them in your mouth. You aren’t particularly hungry, but something in you knows better than to deny what he's brought you. Hopefully it's not poisoned or anything. Your hands shake as you browse through pork and beef. He hasn’t given you any utensils, and you don’t want to ask. You purposely keep your eyes down; his stare is still too much for you. Eventually you risk a peek up to see him looking to the portrait you were admiring earlier.

You swallow. “Who is she?” you dare to ask.

“Someone I used to know, long ago,” he says without breaking his gaze. “It seems like a lifetime away from now.”

You decide to press further. “Um, also, who exactly are _you_ , anyway? Am I allowed to ask?”

He sighs, smoothing out his long cloak and turning to face you. “I suppose so. But let me ask a question first—who do you _think_ that I am?”

You let his amber gaze pierce you for a moment before you answer. “Well, you’ve got fangs, and you live in an old abandoned castle… If I had to take a guess, I’d say you were Dracula…”

He lets out a sharp laugh, and you bite your tongue. Did you say the wrong thing? _This is what I get for asking questions…_

“You’re not far off, actually. Dracula is my father. The human woman in the painting is my mother. She was burned at the stake, long ago, for unjustified accusations of witchcraft. My father was never the same after that, and I suppose I wasn’t either.”

He pauses, and your brain takes this opportunity to say something stupid. “Wait, so all those fairy tales are true? There really are demons and vampires and stuff?”

He raises his eyebrows. “What do you think? One nearly killed you in my front hall. Another sits in front of you. Is that not proof enough?”

You fall silent after that. He purses his lips. “I suppose it makes sense for you to be skeptical. Vampire and demon attacks have been greatly reduced since the old days, restricted to mostly rural areas, where rumors and superstitions run rampant. Given that you’re here on holiday, I take it no reports such as those normally reach your ears?”

You slowly shake your head. He stands. “Figures. Humans have made so many advances, our powers don’t seem nearly as menacing as they once did. If only my mother had lived to see such progress…

“Of course, humans are still corrupt, even though witch scares are long gone. You brood in your dwellings, planning how to outmaneuver your neighbor and use him to your advantage. Oh, yes, the game you play is completely different, but the pieces are still dripping with the blood of the deceived and the unspoken cries of the innocent.”

Your next words are chosen carefully. “So if you’re a vampire, and I’m a human, and you think all of humanity is corrupt, why did you save me? Why didn’t you let that thing kill me so you could… eat me or something?”

Traces of a smile form on his lips. “Simple. It is what my mother would have wanted.” He reaches down and picks up the tray. “And for the record, I _don’t_ think all of humanity is corrupt. Just a large majority of it. Every now and then there are a handful that surprise me. Like my mother, and those who helped me defeat my father.” He shrugs. “And who knows? Maybe even you.”

“Well, even though you’re a vampire, and all the lore I’ve ever known about you is that you’re all evil, or emo and sparkly,” you add, and he gives you a strange look. “Anyway,” you finish hastily, “You fed me food that wasn’t poisoned, and saved me from a monster. You’ve had every opportunity to kill me or lock me up or something worse, but instead you’ve been nothing but kind, even though I was intruding on your property. I don’t think you’re all that bad either.” You offer him a smile.

“I’m glad to hear it.” He begins to walk towards the doorway. “The hour grows late. Make yourself comfortable; it’s going to be a cold night. I apologize that there is not time to prepare a warm room for you. I will get some blankets, and hopefully you can rest easily by the fire. Tomorrow we can go and look for your family, and get you back to where you belong.”

“Thank you, Alucard,” you say sleepily. Exhaustion suddenly overtakes you, and before you know it, you're curled up on the rug in a hazy half-sleep.

Sometime later you come to. The fire is still glowing bright, and you can hear the howling of the storm against the castle. Blankets have been placed over you. You lift your head ever so slightly; Alucard has pulled the armchair away from the fire, and now sits facing the snow-splattered windows. You can’t tell if he's asleep. Do vampires even _need_ sleep? Your brain is too groggy to care. Regardless, his presence makes you feel safe, and you snuggle down under the blankets, drifting off once again.


	3. Bitter Ends and New Beginnings

Morning comes on bright and cold. You scrape yourself up from the carpet, drool caked to your cheek. The fire died in the night, and light is spilling in from the windows. You glance around; Alucard seems to be absent. Stretching, you stand from the floor, trying to work out all the kinks in your stiff limbs. Your stomach whines at you, and you silently hush it. There's no way you'll be able to navigate the castle on your own, or even the surrounding land outside. You'll have to wait for Alucard to come back.

You keep a blanket draped across your shoulders as you stand by the windows. The sky has cleared, and everything sparkles under a crisp, bright coat of snow. You place a hand on the glass, watching fog appear around your fingers. Will you be able to find your family? Or is Alucard right about them being killed?

“Good morning.”

You bang your hand on the windowsill. Alucard chuckles softly as you spin to face him. “You startled me,” you gasp, rubbing your wrist.

“So sorry. You were still asleep when I awoke, so I decided to prepare a meal. Are you hungry?”

Your stomach grumbles in reply, and this time he withholds his laughter. “Come, then.”

You sit in a very similar position to the previous night. He perches in the armchair while you kneel on the carpet, picking through his breakfast. This time, however, the food is much more appealing to you. Thick slabs of bacon lie next to a pile of sunny-side up eggs and, much to your delight, a fork. You eagerly eat while he sits quietly.

After a moment of silence besides your scarfing, you look up at him and your eyes meet. You quickly dart your gaze back down. “Sorry, do you want any of this? I should have asked sooner…”

He chuckles again. “Not a problem. Eat as much as you like; I don’t mind.”

A thought then occurs to you. “Can I ask a question? Do you actually eat food like this, like, human food, or… blood?”

He finds this amusing as well. Still chortling, he reaches down and pops a piece of bacon in his mouth. “I can do either. It mostly depends on what half of me I listen to that day.” He licks his lips, and you can see his fangs. “The human half? Or the vampire half?”

A chill runs through you at his words. He smiles calmly. “Don’t worry. More times than not, I eat what you eat. Only every now and then do I require something a little different, and most of the time I go for blood from animals. Other kinds are for… special occasions.”

His words do little to comfort you. The remaining food on the tray suddenly seems less appealing. You push it towards him. “Here, you can eat the rest. Please.” If he's full on bacon, maybe he'll be less likely to eat _you_ later…

He waves it off, but eats a few more bites regardless. “You worry too much, [Name]. I promise I won’t drink your blood. If I wanted to do that, I assure you, I most certainly already would have.”

He makes a fair point. He had plenty of opportunities to do so the night before, when you lay helpless in front of the fire. Still, your body is tense as you stand again.

He stands as well, his cloak falling into place around him. “So, would you like to set out and see if we can find your family?”

“Yes, please,” you nod. “I hope we can still get around; so much snow has fallen…”

“We should be fine. I know these parts extremely well. Come, wait in the front hall while I put this away.”

Ten minutes later you're trudging through the snow. Alucard seems even taller now that you're outside. Maybe it's because you're hunched over against the cold, while he stands up straight, completely unfazed. The white horizon seems to extend for miles, and everything looks exactly the same. Alucard has you recall where you were the day before, so you can retrace your steps for possible signs of your parents. He sets off at a leisurely pace, and you still have a hard time keeping up with him.

“Hey, can I ask you another question?”

“I suppose even if I said no, it wouldn’t stop you, would it?” He brushes snow from his shoulder. “Go ahead.”

“How come sunlight doesn’t affect you? Do you have a reflection? Can you eat garlic bread?”

He stops walking suddenly, holding his hand up, and you cover your mouth. What in the world came over you? “Goodness, I’m so sorry, that was way more than one…”

His lip curls, but not in anger. “It seems breakfast is a good way to loosen your tongue. All right, I will answer _one_ of those questions right now. In terms of sunlight, I am half human. I can gallivant about as much as I please, day or night, without my skin burning. ‘Tis as simple as that.”

You nod mutely. “Now,” he says. “Shall we continue?”

You find your voice a short while later. “…I’m really sorry for all the prying questions. It’s not very polite of me to ask about so many things.”

“It’s quite all right. I haven’t had to answer such questions for several centuries. It’s honestly rather refreshing to revisit them, and meet someone who knows next to nothing of me.” A half-smirk graces his face. “It’s flattering, really, more than anything.”

Your cheeks burn, which surprises you. Maybe it's from the bitter wind that cuts through your thin hoodie. You clench your teeth to keep them from chattering as you sift among the snowdrifts along the covered path. After some time he takes notice of your condition. “Cold, are we?”

“A bit,” you mumble, pawing at the powder. Your fingers feel raw.

“Here. And before you ask, no, cold doesn’t affect me the way it affects humans. I’ll be fine. You need this more than me.”

He slides out of his cloak, leaving him in a thin white shirt. You gratefully take it when he offers it to you. It's surprisingly thermal, yet light at the same time. You nestle your chin against the high collar. The sweet smell of vanilla fills your nose, which reddens your face again, for a completely different reason than last time.

“So sorry it’s a bit big on you.” He smiles as he looks at the sleeves flapping way past your hands. At least they'll stay warm in there.

“It’s okay. Thank you.” You manage to smile back.

You continue your search. Nothing of interest really seems to come up; not until Alucard is a little ways off from you.

“Oh dear.”

You look up at his troubled voice. “What is it?”

He's kneeling in front of a piece of gravel walkway he’s unearthed. Red stains cover the rocks. “I think we may have found them.”

“How can you be sure?” you ask shakily.

“It smells like your blood. Whoever was hurt here is definitely related to you.” He stands, kicking away more snow. “The trail leads off this way.”

You follow him as he clears away more of the path, revealing more bloodstains. They get thicker the farther you go, and suddenly turn into a dark dried puddle and disappear altogether.

A thin, bloodied scrap of fabric flutters in the breeze. You pick it up. It's a piece of your mom’s scarf.

“It’s just as a feared, then.” Alucard’s voice seems very distant. “The nighthorde must have gotten to them. I’m so sorry, [Name].”

You sink to your knees; your legs have decided to stop working. Your vision becomes wavy and blurred. You clutch the piece of fabric, your knuckles white, digging into your skin. They're gone. You're alone. All, all alone.

A sob tears from your throat. Your eyes stare at the bloodstain, which wavers in and out of focus. You feel as though you're looking through a narrow tunnel. Rustling sounds next to you. Alucard kneels by your trembling form.

You slowly look up at him. His gaze is soft, his eyes full of concern. It's in that moment that you realize he truly is human, and is capable of understanding how you feel. You fling your arms around him without another thought, and wail into his shoulder.

He doesn’t push you away. He doesn’t try to quiet you. He just holds you firm, letting you claw at his shirt, shuddering with great, heaving sobs. “Let it out,” he murmurs. “Let it out until there’s nothing left. Don’t hold back. Let it all out.”

You're not sure how long you sit there. It could be for a few minutes, it could be for an hour. It feels like a lifetime to you. Regardless, after some amount of time has passed, your cries began to lessen until they become merely whimpers, and then they fade altogether. Your throat feels cracked and raw from the cold air, and tears are half-frozen on your face. Alucard’s shirt is soaked.

“I’m… so sorry,” is all you have the strength to say to him, and even then it's halting and slurred.

“Don’t be. You have nothing to apologize for.” He runs a thumb over your cheeks, wiping away the rest of your tears. “Let’s get you inside. You’re shaking something awful.”

You try to stand, but your knees buckle and give way. He catches you and lifts you with incredible ease. “I've got you… I've got you.”

He begins the walk back, cradling you against his chest. Exhaustion crashes over you, and you don’t remember ever reaching the castle again.

The next thing you know you're tucked into a warm bed. The low light from the windows signals it's nearing dusk. You feel like a wreck. You wipe crust from your eyes, a dull ache set against your forehead. Your eyes look around the high-peaked room, from the fireplace to the man sitting at the edge of the bed.

“How are you feeling?” Alucard asks you gently. Just how long has he been sitting here?

“Pretty awful,” you say truthfully, shifting in the sheets. “Did you… carry me back?”

“I did. You were out cold before we arrived. You’ve been asleep ever since.”

“Thank you. For everything,” you add quietly.

“’Tis no problem. I understand exactly how hard it is to lose family members.” He toys with the spoon in the bowl on his lap. “I’ve prepared some soup for you. I want you to eat all of it, to make sure you regain your strength.”

You allow him to feed you. Seeing this side of the man you were worried was going to eat you that morning is sobering. He even softly blows on the spoon before placing it in your mouth, to make sure it isn’t too hot. Once the bowl is empty, he stands. “I’m sure a hot bath would do you good. Do you feel well enough to bathe yourself?”

“Yes.” A bath sounds amazing. He leads you to what you're sure is one of many bathrooms. He leaves you alone to clean yourself. You just soak in the hot water, watching the room grow darker and darker as night comes on. Once the moon has risen to your view, you finish up and dry yourself off.

He’s provided you with some of his spare clothes, since yours are cold and dirty. They fit pretty loosely, but they still smell of vanilla, so you don’t mind. You wander back down the hall, wanting to thank him again.

As you pass the room you rested in the night before you hear something strange. It sounds like muffled sobbing. You stop your stride, creeping next to the doorframe. The armchair is back near the fire, which has smoldered to ashes. In the chair is a hunched, quivering form. Shaking fingers rake through haggard locks, tears sparkling as they fall to the floor.

Your heart stops beating. Never, _never_ , did you think you'd see Alucard so vulnerable.

You've only known the man for barely twenty-four hours. But something about seeing him, this powerful, _powerful_ vampire, slumped over in a chair, weeping buckets, leaves an empty, hollow feeling in your chest. Your brain can’t decide if you should venture closer. He then chokes on a particularly messy sob, and pain seems to shoot through you. Your fingers claw at the doorframe as you bite your lip.

You swallow hard and walk into the room. He doesn’t budge. You shakily kneel next to the chair. It's even worse to see up close. His eyes are red, his face soaked. Tearstains line his front, making dark marks on the leather chair. He must be accidentally biting his bottom lip periodically, for blood dribbles down his chin from his trembling fangs. You've never heard him breathe so hard.

“Alucard…?” you whisper.

“Don’t look at me,” he manages to hiss. He turns the other way.

“Please, let me help,” you dare to say.

“I said _go away!_ ” He pushes you with his hand, and you nearly slam backwards into the wall. His strength catches you completely off-guard, and his actions make you bite back your own tears.

“I… _please_ , I just want to return the favor…” You somehow find fresh courage and return to his side. “You did so much to comfort me, and it seems you need the same. You’ve been alone for so long… let me do what I can to ease your sadness…”

He grits his teeth, grinding them together. “There’s nothing you could do to help. You can’t… you can’t bring her back…”

Suddenly you realize he's talking about his mother. It seems you losing your parents, and your ugly grieving, has brought back painful memories of his own torn family. “Oh, Alucard…”

He doesn’t try to push you away this time, and you wrap your arms around him. It's as though a latch unlocked. He flings himself on you, dragging you into his lap, burying his face in your shoulder. You squeeze him tight, keeping silent while he cries. After some time he composes himself, but continues to lay against you. You idly play with the wispy ends of his hair.

“I’m sorry I pushed you,” he says quietly. “I… clearly I needed this. I haven’t cried like that in so long…”

“Everybody needs a good cry now and again,” you murmur. “We’ve both been through a lot today. _I’m_ sorry to bring back such awful memories of your mother…”

“It’s all right. It’s not your fault. I know exactly how you felt earlier when I held you; I’d been in the same position all those years ago. But I guess dwelling on those memories was too much for me.” He hastily wipes at his eyes. “I’m so sorry you have to see me like this.”

You shake your head. “No, it’s okay. It’s… comforting, honestly. Not that I want to see you suffer,” you add quickly. “But… given that you’re half vampire, it’s nice to see human characteristics still encompass you.”

He makes a small noise. “My father always said it was a weakness I had, to rely so heavily on my human half. But I never saw it as such. Rage filled his heart at my mother’s passing, filling the void where her love used to be. While I myself was extremely upset, I didn’t allow anger to consume me. I knew I had to move on. And so I did. My father, on the other hand, never gave up in his lust for vengeance.”

You're both quiet after that. You're still astride his waist, and his hands still grip you. Your face is flushed. Swallowing fear, you reach up and swipe a few rogue tears from his flawless cheeks. “Thank you for letting me return the favor,” you whisper.

He reaches up and cups your chin. “No, thank _you_ , [Name]. I don’t remember the last time I was comforted like this. It’s been too long. I’m glad you wanted to help me.” He then smiles, a real, genuine smile, and it makes your heart melt.

It's your turn to nestle into his shoulder. “So,” he continues. “Since you’re left alone in this cruel world to wander, would you consider staying here for a spell?”

“You’d let me?” A grin widens on your face. “I’d love to!”

He strokes your skin with slender fingers. “Good. I was hoping you’d say that.” He looks thoughtful for a moment, letting his eyes drift to the painting on the wall. “…You remind me so much of her. So full of energy, compassion, and care… I’m going to like having you around, [Name].”

“And I’m going to like _being_ around, Alucard,” you murmur, toying with his cloak hem. The gap between you closes and you share a tender kiss. His lips are cool to the touch, and your fingers snake through his hair as his slide down your back. Once you break apart you simply smile at one another. You then lay back against him and you stay that way, content, for a long while.


End file.
